Which language would you teach your kids to speak first? Why? (3 Viewers)

[Drongoski]

English, obviously. Assuming they aren't complete dunces, they can learn whatever other language they want when they are old enough to choose (as long as it is cantonese)

You can't be serious. Have you come across any cantonese kid, not using cantonese as a child, suddenly aged 12, having become by now a full-blown honorary "kwai lou" would even care to speak cantonese let alone being able to succeed in it? Besides if he decides later he wants to learn to speak cantonese, he would surely learn it as a foreigner. It's just not the same.

 

[boris]

I think you may need to brush up on your englais a little.

"learn it as a foreigner." - in what context does this even make sense?

 

[SylviaB]

yo asian fags

teach your kids english first so that they don't get an asian accent

rich people in china teach their kids english from birth so they don't sound chinese

sounding western will be better for your kids future than knowing any other langauges could ever be

 

[Phoenix Fury]

gotta know how to speak bb code

 

[OzKo]

If I learned English first, the chances I would have forgotten Korean would have been lower.

 

[Drongoski]

yo asian fags


rich people in china teach their kids english from birth so they don't sound chinese

That's because they are not proud to be Chinese. The 1st thing they do is loot the country and emigrate to Australia or USA. Your idea is: western is superior. In a way you are right since many asians are trying to be western - adopt their names, values, language and religion.

 

[boris]

That's because they are not proud to be Chinese. The 1st thing they do is loot the country and emigrate to Australia or USA.

Should they be?

 

[Drongoski]

Should they be?

No. White is betta.

 

[OzKo]

I think an identity should be formed more or less on where a kid grows up rather than their ethnicity. The development of places like Eastwood as a quasi-ghetto for Asians is deplorable albeit understandable and logical.

 

[kaz1]

Will speak to them in Blackenese and will let tv teach them English in their formative years.

I reckon I learnt English from watching seseame street, parents never speak English to me.

 

[OzKo]

If you want your kid to be able to speak cantonese, it should be taught 1st. English being universal here will present no difficulties.

I've seen many Chinese migrant mothers speaking to their young kids in their 2nd-rate English. Children growing up here usually have no pride in their Asian heritage. If they are not given the vital start in their heritage language, then they can kiss it goodbye - i.e. if they give it a damn. The Korean kids mostly can speak Korean. They are proud to be Koreans. The Chinese usually are not so proud of their roots, from my observation.

Koreans are guilty of sticking with their own compared to Chinese and this isn't a good thing. Korean culture is inherently racist and encouraging then to stick with their own helps racism proliferate.

 

[DavDav]

Koreans are guilty of sticking with their own compared to Chinese and this isn't a good thing. Korean culture is inherently racist and encouraging then to stick with their own helps racism proliferate.

True that. To some extent though (Australian born Korean here).

You have to realise when you first migrate to another country; where you were once the majority population but now become part of the minority of ethnic groups within that new country, you have no choice really as a first wave migrant but to stick to what you know best and that is to live within well established cultural enclaves (Strathfield, Eastwood in the case of Koreans). Helps the person(s) to assimilate easier into Australia or wherever the place may be.

Also you must realised that Korean migration history to Australia is still relatively young whilst the Chinese have been coming over since technically speaking the 'Gold Rush' period of the 1850s-60s. Since their migration history is longer it means they've had a lot longer to settle down and assimilate into the community (learning the culture and language better) with now 4th and 5th generation Chinese Australians whilst the main bulk of Koreans living in Australia are still relatively 1st generation or '1.5' so to speak.

Though I wouldn't support just ' sticking with your own kind' for prolonged periods of time as it would be going backwards rather than forwards in terms of opportunities that the individual was seeking when migrating to this new country. Although I must say my parents or the rest of my family never really lived in these cultural hives. Just moved around all over Sydney.

 

[zombies]

I'm not having children.

But I think that you should teach your child your native language (ie chinese or jap or whatever) first as your child will learn english through daycare, neighbours, tv etc.

imo its harder to learn it at a later age.. my japanese is pretty limited (like the level of a 5yr old) because although my mum talked to me in it when I was a baby, by the time I hit primary school my english > jap

 

[OzKo]

True that. To some extent though (Australian born Korean here).

You have to realise when you first migrate to another country; where you were once the majority population but now become part of the minority of ethnic groups within that new country, you have no choice really as a first wave migrant but to stick to what you know best and that is to live within well established cultural enclaves (Strathfield, Eastwood in the case of Koreans). Helps the person(s) to assimilate easier into Australia or wherever the place may be.

Also you must realised that Korean migration history to Australia is still relatively young whilst the Chinese have been coming over since technically speaking the 'Gold Rush' period of the 1850s-60s. Since their migration history is longer it means they've had a lot longer to settle down and assimilate into the community (learning the culture and language better) with now 4th and 5th generation Chinese Australians whilst the main bulk of Koreans living in Australia are still relatively 1st generation or '1.5' so to speak.

Though I wouldn't support just ' sticking with your own kind' for prolonged periods of time as it would be going backwards rather than forwards in terms of opportunities that the individual was seeking when migrating to this new country. Although I must say my parents or the rest of my family never really lived in these cultural hives. Just moved around all over Sydney.

I am aware that they will congregate together. You would be hard pressed not to expect that.

What I'm saying is that Koreans overemphasize sticking with your own and this definitely shouldn't apply to the Australian-born Koreans. Koreans are key offenders in this area and this is one of the reasons I'm not friends with Koreans even though I'm half. Encouraging them to do this makes other people apprehensive about Asians in general and that's no good at all.

 

[DavDav]

I am aware that they will congregate together. You would be hard pressed not to expect that.

What I'm saying is that Koreans overemphasize sticking with your own and this definitely shouldn't apply to the Australian-born Koreans. Koreans are key offenders in this area and this is one of the reasons I'm not friends with Koreans even though I'm half. Encouraging them to do this makes other people apprehensive about Asians in general and that's no good at all.

Lol I knew you were half Korean OzKo. Sandara Park DP pretty much highlights your inner Koreaness. So you don't hang with Koreans but listen to Kpop? Haha dude ...

Well firstly Koreans likewise with many Japanese tend to be highly proud and overtly nationalistic (as you may now World Cup 2002) which has been further boosted by the recent Korean Wave (Kpop/Kdrama). I agree that Koreans may seem to outside eyes as having a 'hive' mentality in that we don't tend to mix with others rather being a homogeneous group of Korean speaking Koreans.

But you have to ask why?

I personally don't think it has got to do with the fact that we are introvert racists (and we definitely aren't) but more so that historically Koreans have gotten it pretty bad from foreign nations and their influences such as Japan's occupation, Korean War (China, Russia and America's roles) and so on. This then permeates into Korean culture where the collective is viewed as being stronger than the individual. Even the national anthem advocates patriotism and pride. Therefore it's more a collective effort to help other Koreans out rather than being exclsuive to those of non Korean background. Our inadvertent Confucianist cultural values of the ancient kingdoms are also key to why Koreans are not as openly accepting of foreigners.

 

[boris]

I'm not having children.

But I think that you should teach your child your native language (ie chinese or jap or whatever) first as your child will learn english through daycare, neighbours, tv etc.

imo its harder to learn it at a later age.. my japanese is pretty limited (like the level of a 5yr old) because although my mum talked to me in it when I was a baby, by the time I hit primary school my english > jap

Your native language is English though.

 

[OzKo]

Lol I knew you were half Korean OzKo. Sandara Park DP pretty much highlights your inner Koreaness. So you don't hang with Koreans but listen to Kpop? Haha dude ...

Well firstly Koreans likewise with many Japanese tend to be highly proud and overtly nationalistic (as you may now World Cup 2002) which has been further boosted by the recent Korean Wave (Kpop/Kdrama). I agree that Koreans may seem to outside eyes as having a 'hive' mentality in that we don't tend to mix with others rather being a homogeneous group of Korean speaking Koreans.

But you have to ask why?

I personally don't think it has got to do with the fact that we are introvert racists (and we definitely aren't) but more so that historically Koreans have gotten it pretty bad from foreign nations and their influences such as Japan's occupation, Korean War (China, Russia and America's roles) and so on. This then permeates into Korean culture where the collective is viewed as being stronger than the individual. Even the national anthem advocates patriotism and pride. Therefore it's more a collective effort to help other Koreans out rather than being exclsuive to those of non Korean background. Our inadvertent Confucianist cultural values of the ancient kingdoms are also key to why Koreans are not as openly accepting of foreigners.

I am well aware of the cultural background of the issue as well. The thing is though, it can only apply under the presumption that Koreans mindlessly follow cultural doctrines rather than being a bit more open-minded and realising there is more to the world.

I'm optimistic that when the first major batch of Korean-Australians come through and have children, they won't be as narrow-minded as their parents.

 

[SoggyBiscuit]

fuckan you guys shut up why get so serious for?

i don't even want kids but if i did, i plan to be at least half way to fluent by then so i'll teach then english (obviously) and Russian

 

[DavDav]

fuckan you guys shut up why get so serious for?

i don't even want kids but if i did, i plan to be at least half way to fluent by then so i'll teach then english (obviously) and Russian

It's a harmless discussion between two knowledgeable people. What do you mean serious? :s

If you can't seem to take that in you shouldn't be on a forum such as this.

Russian? Good luck with that.

 

[DavDav]

I am well aware of the cultural background of the issue as well. The thing is though, it can only apply under the presumption that Koreans mindlessly follow cultural doctrines rather than being a bit more open-minded and realising there is more to the world.

I'm optimistic that when the first major batch of Korean-Australians come through and have children, they won't be as narrow-minded as their parents.

Yeah I guess so. But one's cultural background shouldn't be disregarded.